Gigaset E550 Cordless Phone: Review

As Gigaset races forwards into the future, some of their more cutting edge devices boast a laundry list of features and may find themselves leaning towards the side of complexity as far as the domain of the home cordless phone goes. Yet with devices like the Gigaset E550, we see Gigaset applying a modern approach and an elegant execution as they make new strides with designs thoroughly rooted in tried and true concepts.

In the E550 we find a device with an inherently simplicity, making it marvellously easy to operate. This is ideal, because the E550 was designed with the elderly in mind. To help out with the concerns of old age, the device has been made easy to operate even for those with disabilities like visual impairments, difficulty hearing, or reduced dexterity.

Gigaset E550 – Hearing Loud and Clear

I am lucky enough not to be the owner of a hearing aid (yet,) so when I reviewed my own E550 I didn’t get a chance to test that feature. But the E550 boasts hearing aid integration, which lets it actually broadcast the sound from the phone into a hearing aid device to make sure even the most hearing impaired will be able to hear it.

The feature I did test was the Audio Boost button, which when enabled immediately provided a boost of a few decibels and makes the handset significantly louder. This is great for anyone who wants a bit of a boost in volume at a moment’s notice. These features are combined with high quality Gigaset sound and crystal clear HSP technology to provide a very listenable experience which sounds great.

E550 Front – Easy on the Eyes

The simple design of the E550 makes it a breeze to operate and immediately familiar to anyone who has used a cordless phone. To further simplify its usage, the E550 is equipped with large over sized buttons which are very easy to navigate and press. There is strong tactile feedback when hitting the keys, the digits are display boldly and easy to see, and the buttons are easy to distinguish when under the fingers. Helpful keyboard back lighting makes it easy to use the phone even in low light.

For the display, the E550 makes use of a 1.8” panorama colour screen, which displays everything in large fonts and very clearly. The panoramic screen design makes it ideal for those who wear eye glasses, and the display is easy to distinguish even in low-light conditions.

Emergency Contact Features

The E550 handset includes 4 buttons which can be programmed to immediately dial different numbers. The version of the E550 which includes an answering machine features an additional emergency call button on the base unit of the device. These buttons can be very useful for frequently dialled numbers, or for emergency contacts.

First Hand Remarks

From my experience using the E550 for a few weeks, the battery life is quite remarkable. It has never died despite my neglecting to charge it and long duration phone calls. Gigaset claims it has 320 hours of standby and up to 14 hours of continuous talk. I have yet to put that quite to the test, but just from my normal usage I am impressed with the battery life.

It was also remarkably easy to set up. Truly a plug and play device: out of the box, plugged into the electric and the land line and voila, ready to go! Easy to install and operate, the E550 is every bit a highly functional device designed with simplicity at heart.